In a gripping fourth-round showdown at Roland Garros, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina delivered a remarkable performance to upset fourth seed Jasmine Paolini and secure her place in the French Open 2025 quarterfinals. The match, held on Court Philippe Chatrier, ended in a dramatic 4-6 7-6 6-1 victory for Svitolina over last year’s runner-up.
The contest began with both players exchanging early breaks twice, with Paolini showing her aggressive intent. The Italian star seized the momentum in the first set by holding to love in the ninth game, before sealing it with a powerful forehand winner. The second set saw Paolini surge ahead 3-1, but Svitolina mounted an impressive comeback. The Ukrainian broke back twice and saved two match points to level the score at 5-5. Riding that wave of resilience, she forced a tiebreak and eventually clinched the set, shifting the match’s momentum entirely in her favor.
Once in the deciding set, Svitolina surged ahead by winning four consecutive games. Paolini managed to get on the board but couldn’t stop the Ukrainian from completing her turnaround. Svitolina closed the match with a brilliant backhand winner, reaching her fifth career quarterfinal at Roland Garros.
This was a repeat of their Australian Open 2025 meeting earlier this year, where Svitolina had also come from a set down to defeat Paolini. The Ukrainian continues her strong clay season form, boasting 18 wins out of 20 matches and a title win in Rouen this April — her 18th career title.
“I still cannot believe this match turned in my favor,” said Svitolina after the victory. “Jasmine was playing excellent tennis today. It was very tough but I’m proud I managed to stay focused and fight until the last moment.”
She will now face either four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek or twelfth seed Elena Rybakina for a place in the semifinals — a stage she has never reached at the French Open.
Meanwhile, Paolini’s exit ends her impressive run, which included a nine-match winning streak and a recent WTA 1000 title in Rome. The Italian had become the first woman from Italy since 2015 to make a Grand Slam final and the first since 2012 to do so in Paris. Her achievements included two WTA 1000 titles — making her only the second Italian woman ever to claim that honor.
